FOR THE DAY OF THE GREAT VICTORY «Album of the 45th» in the Bobruisk Art Museum

Published: May 07, 2024

On May 3, 2024, the Zonal State Archive of Bobruisk and the Bobruisk Art Museum presented a joint exhibition project «Album of the 45th». In the exhibition hall of the museum you can see a unique artifact – an album of drawings and photographs telling about the combat path of the 54th Aviation Bomber Regiment during the Great Patriotic War. The album was created by servicemen of the regiment who served combat aircraft, and in their free hours on the pages of the album, illustrating the military path of their unit from the first days of the war to Victory in May 1945. The uniqueness of the artifact also lies in the fact that in June 1944, the 54th Bomber Regiment participated in the Bobruisk operation, bombing concentrations of enemy manpower and equipment.

The unique album was preserved by one of its authors, Bobruisk resident Sergei Efimovich Ryabkov. All the years of the war he served as a technician in the 54th Klin Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 3rd degree bomber aviation regiment, served 105 combat missions, for which he was awarded orders and medals. Ryabkov celebrated the victory in Berlin. The album’s illustrations retain the names of three more chronicler artists: Nechiporenko F., Zakharenko G.V. and aircraft mechanic S.N. Baboshin

The 54th Bomb Regiment’s combat path reflects the vast geography of the war. The regiment met its beginning at the western border and took part in the battle for Moscow. Then there was the Bryansk Front and participation in the tragic Sevsk operation in February-March 1943, and then in the Battle of Kursk. The 54th Regiment actively participated in the liberation of Belarus. Bombers attacked the enemy in the Mozyr-Klinkovichi operation in the winter of 1944 and in the summer operation during the liberation of Bobruisk. Significant milestones in the regiment’s combat path were participation in the Warsaw operation at the beginning of 1945 and in the battle for Berlin.

The exhibition “Album of the 45th” is a unique echo of the war, a story about everyday work and military feats, about battles and fallen comrades, about the long and bloody path to Victory.

The winners of a creative postcard competition for veterans of the Great Patriotic War were also awarded. Worthy copies will be awarded to veterans on May 9.

At the opening of the exhibition, Zayats E.D., Anatsko T.A., Kanoyko O.V., Kuznetsova E.V., Linevich E.G., Polyakova M.A. in the exhibition hall

Opening remarks by museum director S.N. Privalova, deputy head of the cultural department of the Bobruisk City Executive Committee O.A. Doroshko, E.D. Zayats, director of the archive.

Exhibition «Album from 1945»

Group photo with all event participants